Documentary Screening of The Panguna Syndrome at FreedomFilmFest 2018

Film Synopsis: On the island of Bougainville, an autonomous region of Papua New Guinea, the revolt continues. The Bougainville Crisis, a war waged by colonial powers to crush the indigenous resistance and protect their interests in the giant mine of Panguna may only be the tip of the iceberg. 20,000 lives were lost. The spirits of the land have been violated. And if the Bougainvilleans have come out, against all odds, victorious of the physical war, they now have to face a psychological one.

The referendum on Independence, planned between 2015 and 2020, is inching closer. Whose future will be written and whose voices will count? In the North, the government is attempting the resuscitate Panguna. In the Centre, around the mine site, many are attempting to imagine an alternative reality, a new articulation of modernity inclusive of their traditional cultures and identity. They are leading a battle to break free mentally and physically from oppressive structures they have been subjected to for over two hundred years. After the physical fight comes the time of the spiritual one, calling for the (re)conquest of the idea of the self.

We are excited to be joined at FFF2018 by one of the filmmakers behind ‘The Panguna Syndrome’, Olivier Pollet. Olivier is a young French journalist and independent documentary filmmaker, passionate about human rights, the environment and development issues. His work specialises in human rights, the environment and corporate accountability, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region and Papua New Guinea.

Olivier will present his upcoming multi-media platform project on the history and legacy of colonialism on the Island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea It is being produced as a complement to the documentary The Panguna Syndrome, screened at the Freedom Film Festival, as well as an upcoming feature version. He will share his insights into all stages of production: from research to designing an open-ended approach of filmmaking for indigenous communities, to post-production and dissemination.

This workshop is in collaboration with Malaysian Documentary Association (MYDOCS) and supported by the French Embassy in Malaysia and Alliance Francais de Kuala Lumpur.

Film Synopsis: Farmland – the new green gold. Hoping for export revenues, Ethiopia’s government leases millions of hectares of farmland to foreign investors. But the dream of prosperity has a dark side where the World Bank plays a very questionable role… Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas investigates land grabbing and its impact on people’s lives. Pursuing the truth, we meet investors, development bureaucrats, persecuted journalists, struggling environmentalists and evicted farmers deprived of their land.

We are excited to be joined by the filmmaker behind ‘Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas’, Joakim Demmer who will be available for Q&A following the screening.

Joakim is based in Berlin, Germany and has directed and produced several internationally-acclaimed documentaries. His most recent film “Dead Donkeys Fear No Hyenas” has won several prizes and has been screened in around 40 countries.

Bicycle Powered Cinema at FreedomFilmFest 2018

Step onto the pedals of one of the specially engineered bikes from Biji-Biji Initiative and get our eco-friendly films playing. Everyone who arrives at the screening can get involved and pedal for as long as they can. Taking turns is, of course, allowed.

Founders in Malaysia are stepping up to the plate. German entrepreneur Fridtjof Detzner talks to them about the increasing demand for energy and their drive to find alternatives. The vision: to secure the planet’s energy supply.

Power Down 2 Power All by Ayu Abdullah and Teresa Krug

Realizing that the planet is in danger from climate change and greenhouse gases, a boy takes it upon himself to improve efficiency of mankind’s overall power consumption. His mission: to free up power for the planet and everyone who lives on it, one device at a time.

On the Brink of Extinction : The Malayan Tiger by WWF Malaysia & Nuvista Media

We are losing our Malayan tigers, and we need to make them a national priority. Mini story told through the eyes of an individuals, highlighting the need for greater collaborative efforts to save the king of Malaysia’s forests.

The Little Dhoby of Penang by Adrian Lee

Settlement known as the Dhoby Ghaut faces extinction as laundry is today washed using the touch of a button. This film documents how Ramen and his friends struggle to keep their trade alive in today’s modern world.

Barber Kubur by Adrian Lee

Barber Kubur documents the journey of Pak Din and his friends who once ran a barbershop in a cemetery minus the hair-raising experiences and supernatural occurrences..

Rang-tan: the story of dirty palm oil by Salon Alpin

This film spotlight the destruction of Indonesian rain forest for the production of palm oil with an emotional 90-second film narrated by Emma Thompson.

Bau Hutan by Awang Ketut

Bau Hutan is a protest monologue in response to the extensive and indiscriminate logging in Kelantan that is believed to have caused the massive floods in 2014. The film questions how power is used in the name of religion as a licence to environmental degradation that led to the suffering of thousands

Film Synopsis: It’s been years since Ewok last set foot in the Temiar village he once called home. The highland communities there made national headlines when they built several blockades to stop deforestation. This is a recollection of a journey from a Semai village to a Temiar harvest ceremony in the highlands of Gua Musang. Jassmin and a couple of friends meet Ewok at his Semai abode and tag along with him to join the Temiar celebration meant for close family and friends. Ke Raya Padi shares about Ewok, the Semais and the Temiars they meet along the way.

Film Synopsis: Joe Moses believes that, as long as he is alive, his duty is to help people. For years he has been fighting for his community in Paga Hill, at the outer edge of Papua-New Guinea’s capital. An Australian developer is trying to forcibly evict them with the aim of replacing the locals’ modest dwellings with a luxurious hotel resort and harbour. The displacement has no legal foundation, but it seems that no one is interested in the native community’s rights, not even the local politicians. This investigative documentary about defenceless inhabitants fighting for their homes is filled with suspense and unexpected twists.

Film Synopsis: In Sarawak, “the ones who live upstream” are the first affected by the deforestation. The Penan, once a nomadic community, are caught today in the eye of the storm : how to go on living when the landscape, which brought meaning to existence, disappears and with it the language, the customs and the spirits? The film, lead by the songs of those who have refused to give in, tells about the intimate interweaving of an older bittersweet way of life and the struggle which rages in the shadows of the big trees. It drawns the lines of resistance of the ones caught in such deadly fight.